Jewish-American musician Neil Sedaka died Friday at age 86.
Sedaka, who was born in New York to a Jewish family, was behind major hits including “Laughter in the Rain,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Bad Blood.” Over the years he collaborated with songwriters such as Howard Greenfield, with the duo Captain & Tennille and with artists including Elton John and ABBA.
His family said they were devastated by the sudden loss of their beloved husband, father and grandfather, describing Sedaka as a true rock ’n’ roll legend and an inspiration to millions. Above all, they said, he was an exceptional man who would be deeply missed by those who knew him.
Sedaka began his musical career in high school, where he showed talent on the piano and performed with the band The Tokens, leaving before its major breakthrough. At the same time, he began collaborating with his neighbor Howard Greenfield, a partnership that lasted nearly five decades and led to the sale of about 40 million records between 1959 and 1963, according to his official biography.
The duo’s first major success came in 1959 when Connie Francis recorded their song “Stupid Cupid,” prompting Sedaka to begin writing and recording his own material. His first big hit was “Oh! Carol,” followed by songs including “Stairway to Heaven,” “Calendar Girl,” “Little Devil,” “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Next Door to an Angel.”
In addition to topping U.S. charts, Sedaka found wide success overseas and often recorded his songs in other languages, releasing versions in Italian, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Japanese.
By his own account, his solo career stalled with the rise of The Beatles in 1964, when his record label dropped him. He also described falling into financial hardship after discovering that his manager — who was also his mother’s partner — had squandered his savings, leaving him to rely largely on songwriting for income.
Sedaka enjoyed a resurgence in the 1970s after trying his luck in England and working with new musical partners. He collaborated with Phil Cody and members of ABBA on their early hit “Ring Ring.” During that period, he met Elton John, who signed him to his record label.
In 1974, he released the compilation album “Sedaka’s Back,” which went gold in the United States. The following year, he reached No. 1 twice on the charts with “Laughter in the Rain” and later with “Bad Blood.” At the same time, Captain & Tennille scored a major hit with “Love Will Keep Us Together,” which Sedaka wrote, and The Carpenters found success with their rendition of his song “Solitaire.”
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he continued recording successful songs, including “Love in the Shadows,” “Should’ve Never Let You Go,” a duet with his daughter Dara, “Alone at Last” and “Your Precious Love,” also recorded with his daughter. In 1983, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In later decades, he continued to create music, performed classical works, released children’s songs and recorded an album in Yiddish. Online recordings also feature him singing in Hebrew to lyrics written by Chaim Kaynan. His last studio album, “I Do It for Applause,” was released about a decade ago.
In 2022, Sedaka officially announced his retirement from songwriting, and two years later, sold his music catalog to Primary Wave Music.
He is survived by his wife, Leba Strassberg, whom he married in 1962, and their two children, Marc and Dara.